


All You're Giving Me is Fiction

by DonKoogrr



Series: Hey Sugar Show Me All Your Love [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Albino Tobirama, Almost Ghosts, Basically an Excuse to Write Angsty Smut, Bigotry & Prejudice, Blow Jobs, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dead kids, Derogatory Language, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Flashbacks, Heavy Angst, How is Madara the Sane One, I Am Mean To Tobirama, I'm Sorry, M/M, Nightmares, Senju Clan Bullshit, Shameless Smut, So much smut, They Make Things Better, Tobirama's Flawed Self-Image, Toxic Family Situations, Traumatized Murder Children, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-04-19 14:22:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14239161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonKoogrr/pseuds/DonKoogrr
Summary: No one got out of the Warring Clans Era undamaged.Madara is discovering just how deep Tobirama's scars go (and some of the people that put them there).





	1. Welcome Home From Away

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Blue is a bad colour](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14033244) by [dahtwitchi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahtwitchi/pseuds/dahtwitchi). 



> I'm sorry. I'm a bad person and I'm mean to my favorites.
> 
> Warnings for Tobirama angst in general, smut in particular, and asshole OCs.
> 
> (I know I also promised SoulBond's continuation, but right now Sugar!verse has my head hostage so yeah)
> 
> (Why yes, that is a Rise Against lyric chapter title in a series named for a Neon Trees song. Because it _fits_ , that's why.)

Returning to Konoha after a month's stay in Uzugakure for the purpose of strengthening their political alliance brought a physical sense of relief to Madara's chest. 

A week and a half's travel there even with shinobi speeds, a full thirty days of politicking and ensuring that the clan member who had had the lousy sense to _elope with an Uzumaki Princess_ would not be executed the moment he and the rest of the ambassador's party got out of sensing range, and then an equally long journey back home minus one _idiot_ cousin, had left him more exhausted than any fight to the death had managed before.

He wants his bath and his bed. Preferably with his boyfriend in both. He does _not_ want to stand around and listen to the extensive debriefing that awaits him nor does he want to tell Hashirama's wife that her youngest sister has stolen Hikaku's brother away to be her husband.

Madara had _liked_ Eito. The man was competent and dedicated and completely gone on his new bride. It's a tragedy, really. Or it will be, once Hikaku finds out what's happened. 

He is still trying to find a delicate way to approach the topic when they reach the gates. Hashirama is waiting for them, grinning foolishly and undoubtedly using their return as a reason to skip out on paperwork. Madara rolls his eyes and ducks away from the attempted embrace as his best friend welcomes him home.

The word brings a warm feeling to his chest.

And then worry. Hashirama has cheerfully sent the rest of the party on ahead, citing that he and Madara need to catch up on some things. There are lines of tension around his mouth and stress hidden under his cheer. The Uchiha reaches his senses out automatically, searching for those that are _his_. He isn't the prodigy that Tobirama is, but he is powerful nonetheless.

There is no one missing, no widespread sense of unease, but something is wrong.

"What's happened to Tobirama?" His tone is low and his words are curt. His lover's chakra is wavering the strange way it does when he is in his worst nightmares, yet the man is definitely at the Tower and undoubtedly pretending nothing is wrong.

It had been startling for Madara to discover just how many emotions Tobirama's famed stoicism masks. It certainly isn't that he doesn't feel them, the way Madara used to believe when they had been enemies, but more that he feels to such a degree that he's become numb to them. The negative ones, anyway. 

Madara found a box of licorice hidden in one of his traveling bags that proves just how obviously the genius Senju deals with positive emotions. He always finds himself resenting the Senju clan when he thinks about how unpracticed his lover is when confronted with feelings that the Uchiha takes for granted.

Hashirama winces and walks faster to keep up. "There was an incident on one of his missions a few weeks ago. No fatalities on our side, but he's been like this ever since." The Hokage is hedging, reluctant to go into details. Madara glares at him in reproach as they enter the Tower. Hashirama looks away.

"We don't send children out to fight, but that doesn't stop other people from doing so."

A wash of cold rage burns through the Uchiha's body and he snarls wordlessly. He _knows_ Tobirama, knows how he regards Konoha's children.

He knows Tobirama would defend his people against any foe. Even if it breaks him to do so.

Madara takes the stairs two at a time and only now registers the second chakra signature that must be in Tobirama's office with him. It is mature but unfamiliar. He turns to Hashirama with a question on his lips and only has time to see his friend's face pale before flushing with anger as he too registers the presence hidden by Tobirama's strangely acting chakra.

Suddenly it is Madara rushing to keep up as Hashirama drops all pretense of propriety and races to his little brother's office, throwing the door open with enough force to break it from its hinges. Madara follows him not a moment later, sharingan spinning and just in time to hear a woman hiss " _...freakish!_ " at Tobirama's face.

There is _such rage_ at this unknown woman, but red eyes shocked by their entrance keep him from immediately going for her throat. He watches the other man's gaze slide back to the woman's only for her to flinch back as if in disgust. It is with a sense of horror that he sees Tobirama's eyes drop to his desk, bowing his head as he pretends to look over the paperwork he know doubt had been doing before this interloper had arrived.

"Mother."

He almost misses Hashirama's furious growl as he stares at the scene, trying to make sense of it. The woman, their _mother_ turns to them. She is pretty in the way many Senju are. Well-coiffed dark hair, large doe eyes that remind him of Hashirama's, and clear skin just a shade off of her eldest son's warm glow. Dressed in a kimono bearing her family's crest, she would surely be a lovely sight if she weren't sneering with hatred at Madara. It is with obvious effort that she forces her expression into something more coldly haughty as she dismisses the Uchiha and calmly walks past them, only pausing to send a pointed look at Hashirama.

"There is an emergency Clan meeting tomorrow night. I _expect_ you to be there."

The room is filled with tense silence as she finally leaves. Madara doesn't know what to focus on first. Hashirama's barely restrained dislike? Tobirama's refusal to _stop working_ and meet his eyes? The fact that he hadn't known their mother was alive at all?

Hashirama moves first, carefully making his way to Tobirama's desk and gently stopping the man's hands from filling out some form. Madara has to swallow the whirl of emotions as he follows, treading with equal care and feeling like the worst sort of trespasser. Tobirama allows himself to be pulled up so that he is standing, but his eyes remain firmly aimed downwards.

"Brother. I'm busy right now. I need to...this needs to be done." Madara cannot suppress a wince at the blankness in his lover's voice as the man trails off and tries to turn back to his desk. Hashirama is firm as he pulls his brother further away. He catches Madara's eyes with his own pleading stare, though his tone remains calm and cajoling.

"That can wait for a few days. Madara's back, Tobi; he needs you right now. You and he should go home; I know you've missed each other."

"Oh...?"

There's a shift, a spark of something human again, and Tobirama glances up at Madara through the fringe of his hair as if only now realizing that the other man was present. Madara can only hope his face is encouraging as he nods his agreement. Blank eyes gain some focus and Tobirama needs no more prompting to go to Madara's side. Arms wrap around him, ignoring the armor and grime from the journey. He is still very obviously _off_ , but there is familiarity in the way he finally meets Madara's eyes.

"Welcome home. Are you done here?"

Madara almost misses what the real question is, but luckily Hashirama is more familiar with this state his brother is in.

"Debriefing is all done! Go on and take him home, Tobi."

Tobirama nods and moves his fingers into a familiar shape. Madara has less than a second to brace himself before they vanish in a flash of yellow light, twisting through space and time to land in the living room of their shared house. He takes a moment to reorient himself and nearly starts as quick hands begin unfastening his armor. Tobirama is less pale now, more determined as he focuses on his mission to take care of Madara. He nearly stumbles in relief as he watches his lover slowly return to him from behind that frozen mask.

He tosses the last piece of his mantle aside and steals a kiss. Whatever it was that had just happened, it's obvious that Tobirama needs distracting from it. His Senju wraps an arm around him, pulling him in and pressing his body close. They are briefly lost in the sensations, rediscovering one another after their long absence. Tobirama growls as Madara's hands slip under the younger man's shirt and begin to tug on the fastenings of his trousers. He pulls away, just barely and with great reluctance.

"Bath. You need a bath. I'll join you in a moment, I need to make up the bed first."

 _Right_. Madara lets the other man go and quickly makes his way to the bathroom, shedding his clothes as he does. He sets the tub to start filling with water and begins to scrub the worst of the filth from his skin in the shower. It doesn't take long before Tobirama joins him, silently taking shampoo and comb to Madara's hair. The room is quiet, with only the sound of hot water pouring into the tub and the occasional brush of lips to distract them. The routine is easy, practiced, and the scene in the office grows further from their minds with every unintelligible word murmured against scarred skin.

They nearly drag one another to the full bath, hands roaming over heated bodies and reassuring themselves of the other's presence. Madara manages to press Tobirama into the water first, pushing his back against the edge of the tub and pinning him down. Pale fingers latch onto his hair, roughly dragging him in closer and sending a bolt of lust straight to his groin. Sharingan red eyes spin lazily as he memorizes the way Tobirama is splayed and slipping against the smooth bath, his body flushed with the heat of the water and his pretty cock hard under his hand.

Everything about Tobirama is pretty to Madara. The shape of his eyes, the strength of his back, the thinness of his lips. All this and more is what makes up this man he adores and he _craves_.

"...You're drooling."

Tobirama is hyper-focused on him and it is enthralling to have that regard. Konoha could be burning and Tobirama's prodigious senses would not register a thing besides _Uchiha Madara_. The thought makes him grin fiercely down at the man between his arms.

"You look delicious and I am _so. Very. Hungry._ " He can feel the shiver his words elicit, see the way the man's red pupils (so difficult to distinguish from the rest of his pretty, pretty eyes) dilate. Madara leans in to kiss and whisper into Tobirama's ear, eager to start their dance.

His young lover had always had difficulty requesting actions from him. After that disaster of a miscommunication when they had gone public and Tobirama had retreated even further into his inability to be kind to himself, Madara had suggested that they both focus on simple statements when it came to the emotions Tobirama struggles with.

"I Want to show you a new jutsu I found in Uzu." Tobirama makes a curious hum and tilts his head to get a better look at Madara. "It allows one to breathe under water for a long period of time. I Want to suck your pretty cock until you come down my throat. I Want you to hold my head in place under water while I do it. I Want you to pull my hair."

Madara smirks in delight at the stunned expression on Tobirama's face. It's a rare thing to see the man truly slack-jawed in surprise and Madara proudly memorized the incoherent noise that escapes him. He chuckles darkly and brings his hands up out of the water in preparation. He cocks an eyebrow at his lover, patiently waiting for _his_ brain to catch up, for once. It takes Tobirama two tries before he finds his voice and manages to reply. 

"I Want that, too."

Permission granted (and in such a satisfying way), Madara flips through the hand signs and wastes no time ducking his head under the water, trusting Tobirama to grip his head and guide his eager mouth. His fingers rub soothing circles over his lover's thighs as he is pressed down until he feels the man's blunt head pressing against his lips. He opens them with a smile and swallows over the length, loving the way the hand in his hair tightens. It is joined by the other hand, now that Madara has his target, and he shivers in pleasure as Tobirama forces him down further until his nose is brushing against the coarse hair at his base.

He can hear Tobirama's curses muddled by the water and he suckles happily at his treat, delighting in the way his normally stoic lover jerks and whimpers, the muscles under his hands tensing with restraint. He moves one hand, lightly tracing its way to cup one firm buttock and squeezing it encouragingly. 

There's a _snarl_ above the water and Madara would laugh if he weren't otherwise occupied. The hands in his hair _yank_ as Tobirama's hips begin to thrust mercilessly into his mouth. Madara is _so hard_ imagining (with the aid of his sharingan) just how lost in the moment his lover must be. He loves it. He loves causing this ridiculously intelligent man to fall so violently into his primal instincts. The raw desire on Tobirama's face always leaves him wanting more, to see it again and again, to keep him in in that way in perpetuity. 

Someday. Someday he will introduce the idea of Tsukuyomi into their games and he will _ruin_ this man in all the best ways.

**_Mine!_ **

A broken cry meets his waterlogged ears as he works the cock in his mouth just the way he knows Tobirama likes it. Bitter seed floods his mouth and Madara swallows it with a deep sense of satisfaction. The body beneath him is quaking under his ministrations, his scalp burns with a delightful pain. He is kept there, both helpless and powerful, for several more minutes as the man above him slowly, slowly returns to his senses. Tobirama grows languid, fingers carding through his hair with sweet gentleness as he continues to hum and suck the softening organ.

It feels like a calm eternity passes before Madara is lazily pulled up. He cheekily resists for a moment to press a filthy, open-mouthed kiss to the length, causing Tobirama to playfully tug another lock of his hair in retribution. Madara releases the jutsu as he surfaces and is pulled close to his shaky lover. A lean leg presses between his thighs as they kiss and it's a heady sensation to hear Tobirama having so much difficulty stringing his words together.

"You...I Want you to get off, too. I Want you to mark me while you do it."

"Gladly. You taste so good, did you know that? I love feeling you in my mouth."

Madara laughs at the groan he elicits and presses his mouth to Tobirama's offered neck. He grinds slowly against the man's leg, knowing that he won't last much longer and wanting to leave him with a decently sized hickey. 

"You felt amazing..."

He moans, practically tasting the blush on Tobirama's skin as he bites down. Hearing that sort of thing with his boyfriend's blunt delivery makes him wish he wasn't too drained for another round. The wicked Senju notes his reaction and buries a hand back into Madara's hair, lightly drawing his nails along his flank.

"I wish I could keep you there, take you to the clan meeting with your throat around my dick, making me _scream..._ "

Madara jolts at the image, the thought of claiming his Senju so blatantly and in such a vulgar way, making him scream Madara's name in front of his family...

His mind goes blank. He has no idea how long he is senseless and spent before he comes back to himself with blood on his lips from where he'd bitten into the meat of Tobirama's shoulder.

Madara would apologize, but the exhaustion of his trip is beginning to hit him and Tobirama looks thrilled that his experiment of appealing to Madara's exhibition kink proved to be a success so he just laughs tiredly. They lie there in the cooling water, quietly trading kisses again, content to just _be_.

Eventually, Tobirama coaxes the yawning Madara out of the tub and maneuvers them both into the shower for a quick rinse. The Uchiha is toweled off and easily led to their bed, his feet stumbling with fatigue. Madara silently congratulates himself on a job well-done; there is no hint of that woman's influence in his languid lover. Tomorrow he will talk the other man through the disastrous mission that had left him so vulnerable and he will bully more information about _her_ out of Hashirama. (Such as: Who would miss her?)

Tonight though, he will curl around his boyfriend and watch him fall asleep.

He's missed this.


	2. Said the King to the River

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guilt is a clawing, greedy creature that rarely feeds on the truly guilty.
> 
> Hashirama knows his brother is safer in Madara's bed than in his family's holdings.
> 
> (A short chapter, but hopefully one where lots of things occur)

Hashirama has always been a light sleeper and an early riser, his latent ability to use mokuton always keeping him aware of his surroundings. Trees do not sleep, after all. He knows he is lucky in this way.

When he was a child he would often be joined in his mornings by Itama and Kawarama, the three of them sneaking out of their shared room, trying not to wake Tobirama with their giggles. They would make their way to the kitchens to beg treats from the clan's cooks, sneaking in an early breakfast before their training began.

Now he is at Hokage's Residence, sitting with his wife at the kitchen table, waiting for their tea to cool in the early dawn.

Waiting for the shadow clone Madara had sent over to reach them.

It had _better_ be a clone, anyway. Hashirama will be furious with his friend if he hasn't the sense to keep close to Tobirama after the debacle of yesterday on top of the guilt Tobirama was suppressing for having had to kill another child soldier.

Mito's hand rests over his own as she learns against his side, quietly supporting him. She knows the dirty secrets that Madara is going to insist on being told of and she had felt that her presence would be needed for the conversation. She really is his rock in this bloody world; strong and ready to crush her opponents at a moment's notice, a stalwart defender against the regrets that grip at him.

He was so unbelievably relieved when he learned that Tobirama had found someone like that for himself. Or rather, that Madara had found Tobirama. Hashirama has no doubt that his reticent little brother would have gone through his life alone rather than seek out someone who would insist on sharing his burdens. It _would_ take someone with Madara's intense determination to dig in to Tobirama's layers of ice and burn through them.

Madara's shadow clone appears at the entrance to the kitchen looking peeved. Hashirama offers him a wan smile.

"I assume you are here about Mother."

The clone grimaces at the thought of the woman and stalks his way to take the empty chair sitting opposite of Hashirama and Mito.

"Time to spill your guts, Hashirama. What the fuck did I see yesterday? Since when is your mother even _alive_? You've never spoken about her. Do you know how bad Tobirama's head was after that?! How often does that kind of thing happen and why am I only learning about this now?"

Hashirama turns his hand to clasp Mito's and tries to restrain his internal conflict. Tobirama probably hadn't told Madara much about his childhood because he didn't want the other man to make any rash decisions or statements. He had also probably been worried about losing his standing in his lover's eyes. Hashirama's brother could be so foolish in that way; his worst blind spot will always be himself.

"Our mother was accused of a great number of things when Tobirama was born. His looks are so unusual that people would insist that she had cuckolded our father with a demon or an Uchiha because of his red eyes. Others insisted that Tobirama himself was some kind of demon changeling. It took until Itama was born years later that she could have visual proof that Tobirama was our father's son."

"She's never forgiven Tobi for being born. She would tell us that he would have been drowned at birth if our father hadn't needed to bolster our numbers. That he was a curse, but one that proved to be useful enough to tolerate."

The clone is staring at him, keen intelligence roiling behind his frozen mask of a face. Hashirama feels exhausted already. The explanation was drawing his own pain from that time out of him.

He had been so young, with the weight of his brother's life on his shoulders. It was nothing like what Tobirama had experienced, but with Mito there beside him he can admit that he too had suffered. 

"Mother has a great deal of political weight among the Senju; our line of succession was passed down to me through her, not Butsuma. Lately, she has been..." He winces as he searches for the word "Meddling. She's been trying to press Tobirama into an arranged marriage."

" _ **What.**_ " Madara's clone in on his feet, fury visible in the utterly still way he is standing. "You can't seriously be _considering_ allowing this to happen! What in the seven hells is she playing at? And how could she... _her own child!_ " 

Hashirama watches him choke on his rage, trying to keep his own disgust and ire at the woman's actions under control. The last thing anyone needs is for Madara to attempt to assassinate the Lady Senju. Or succeed at it.

"As Clan Head, I can only stop her from ordering him to give in to a political match for the sake of the Clan, but there are ways to get around that. If Tobirama were to agree to her demands, it will be a private matter and my hands will be tied."

" _He **won't** agree!_ " Madara must see the possibility in Hashirama's eyes. His face falls in shock. "He _wouldn't..._ He loves me."

"He does love you. I have never seen him as happy as he is when he is at your side, Madara." Hashirama is quick to reassure his friend even as he tries to outline the situation that his mother has put them in. "But you _know_ he has...problems. Mother has convinced some of your clan to tell him how badly he's holding you back. They've been dropping hints the entire time you've been gone and you _know_ how he can get wrapped up in his head!"

"She has always known just what to say to convince Tobirama that she's right, to sacrifice his own happiness for the greater good of our family."

"I want _names_. How _dare_ they-! I will end them for this." Hashirama has to rise and grip Madara's shoulders, keeping the clone from storming off into disaster. "Madara, no! You can't just execute people for this. This isn't a problem that can be solved with violence."

"Says you! Let go of me and I'll show you just how effectively I can solve this!" Mokuton swallows his legs as the clone continues to try to break free.

" _ENOUGH!_ " Mito's Adamantine chains wrap around the both of them. Madara is still incensed while Hashirama simply looks embarrassed.

"We all need to keep calm if we are to find a solution. It is a stroke of luck that my sister and your cousin have had such a scandalous marriage; it will draw some of her supporters away. We only need to capitalize on this opportunity-!"

Madara snarls at the both of them and Hashirama feels his heart beginning to sink. So much for going at this calmly.

"I _refuse_ to dance to the tune of some pathetic excuse for a family! Hashirama, how can you even consider playing this kind of game when your own brother is on the line?!"

"You can tell your worthless clan that Tobirama is beyond their reach, now! He is _mine_ and I will take any attempt to coerce him as an act of war!"

Hashirama's jaw drops and he looks on in shock as the clone dispels itself in fury.

Mito releases him from her chains with a contemplative hum.

"...There is no turning back now, Husband. Do you really think this will protect your brother?"

Hashirama closes his eyes and wonders if either Tobirama or Madara will ever forgive him for this. Manipulating people for some 'greater good' is what his mother does; it always leaves a sour taste in his own mouth, no matter how talented at it he has become.

But nothing they had said was untrue and he _needs_ to keep Tobirama out of reach of the family that would only tear him down. He couldn't protect him as a child and he cannot win this subtle battle between himself and his mother without including Madara in some fashion.

He thinks of his mother's disgusted face always turning away from his quiet and strange little brother. He thinks of an Uncle sneaking poisonous amounts of Holy Salt in to Tobirama's food, his water, in an effort to exorcise the ghost possessing the corpse of Butsuma's second son. He remembers cruelties hidden and suspicious gazes and...

He cannot regret this.

Hashirama loves his clan despite the flaws of its people, but he hasn't trusted the clan with his brother in decades.

\-----

Hours later, when the paperwork for self-expulsion is dropped on his desk by one of Madara's hawks, he signs it immediately.

By the time the Clan Meeting occurs, there is no longer a Senju Tobirama to argue about.

\-----

Madara and Tobirama are just rising from bed when the clone's memories hit him. 

He is stunned. He is enraged.

Tobirama doesn't have a chance to evade his sudden lunge, is too surprised to resist being slammed back onto the mattress.

" _You Will Not-!_ "

His lover's eyes are wide and confused. There is a part of Madara that is screaming at him to stop, to shut up and slow down and _explain_ himself.

It cannot be heard over the thought of this self-sacrificing fool of a man bowing to a hateful family's demands. The thought of _his lover_ bedding some woman out of _duty_ to people _undeserving-!_

" _I. Want._ " He cannot get the words out. He wants Tobirama. Wants to keep him here and safe, _will_ keep him-! Madara's thoughts are spiraling, his rage growing with every moment.

" _Look me in the eyes, damn you!_ " The other man does. _So trusting, don't break that_ He won't break that trust, he only need to _show him-_

The sharingan spins into the mangekyou. Tobirama doesn't look away. _Madara loves this man._

" _ **Tsukuyomi!**_ "


	3. Ghost Love Score

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara panics.
> 
> Izuna isn't impressed.
> 
> (Warning to slight reference to past non-con. NOT between Madara and Tobirama)

Tobirama's gaze doesn't waver from Madara's eyes even as they spin into a pattern he's only seen before on the battlefield. His honed instincts scream at his to look away, to use his hiraishin, to do _something_ as he feels the cresting chakra and hears the roar of the technique.

If this is an attack, Tobirama wants to be greedy. He wants to die in this man's arms, not survive outside of them.

Madara's chakra pushes into his own without tenderness and he hasn't the breath to do much more than gasp quietly at the brief pain of it before he's lost in a maelstrom of emotions.

_He stands on nothing, he sees nothing, his chakra senses are useless. For what seems like an eternity, whatever it is that makes him **Tobirama** is simply frozen there as something more powerful and encompassing that 'Love' can describe surrounds him. _

_Then the images start and he cannot look away even if he wished to; it isn't his eyes that are seeing them._

_Tobirama watches...himself. Himself laughing helplessly and sliding down a doorframe as feelings of shock and embarrassment and some wonder at his expression pull and twist. Himself working at his desk, drawing forth a feeling of rightness and contentedness. Himself, sparring and working and performing even the most mundane of tasks, surrounded by such a rush of positive emotions that Tobirama cannot comprehend or identify them before the images change ever faster. They spiral and race so, so quickly, too quickly, he can't keep up-!_

_It isn't until the image of himself, looking up into his own adoring eyes from where he is reclining on a familiar bed that Tobirama realizes that he is sharing in Madara's memories. If he still had knees in this genjutsu, he would have fallen to them in shock. In awe. These were **Madara's** emotions, this is **Madara's** love for him, desperate and inelegant and wild. _

_His own body, trembling and beautiful, so completely at odds with how Tobirama has always seen himself. His own mouth curving into a smile that sends a wave of lust through Madara's(his) mind..._

\-----

The sharp, pained inhale as the technique sets brings Madara out of his rage with enough force to give him whiplash. Tobirama's eyes stare blankly up at him, face slack and mind insensate under the Tsukuyomi's power. Panic and cold fear begin to boil in his chest.

What has he done? _What has he done?!_

For all that he had been thinking of bringing the Tsukuyomi into their bedroom fun, he hadn't actually...he didn't _mean_ for-!

His hand shakes as it cards through Tobirama's bedhead, silently begging for him to wake up.

Madara has only rarely used the sharingan's most powerful genjutsu and even then only in battle. It was Izuna's preferred tool, not his. He would use it in a pinch, but his brother would always despair that he wielded it like a club.

That didn't _matter_ in a fight.

But this _isn't_ a fight and Tobirama _isn't_ some faceless enemy to be struck down and discarded.

Madara feels sick.

Tobirama isn't waking up.

\-----

Between the recent journey, the shadow clone, and the Tsukuyomi, Madara doesn't have the chakra to spare for another shadow clone. After ten minutes of waiting at his lover's bedside with no change in the man's state, he presses a kiss to the man's forehead before rushing from his house.

\-----

If there is anything Izuna will admit to enjoying about his brother's peaceful village, it is that there is so much more time for him to indulge in the little things. 

Things like watching the sunrise next to Chiyoko during breakfast. They had first met at a sunrise so many years ago, both of them wanting some time away from their much-beloved and incredibly loud siblings. Silently sitting on a roof together, the recognition of a sympathetic soul and distant cousin of some kind in one another had lead to them seeking one another out during other times of the day. Their simple companionship had blossomed into a deep and comfortable love for one another that would endure throughout many hardships.

Chiyoko is always beautiful to Izuna's eyes. Others would look at the scar that had taken off part of her nose and forced her mouth into a permanent sneer, but Izuna sees a devoted woman who had fearlessly defended her younger siblings when a band of enemy shinobi had attacked the Uchiha when most of their warriors were away fighting the Senju. There are many in their family who look at her disfigurement, her missing feet, her virtue lost in her brief captivity, and see only a tragedy. They have long since learned to keep their silence.

She smiles at him now, cheeks glowing as she doubtlessly reflects on the news she's just delivered to him. He can feel the heat from his own face that lets him know that he must also be blushing a furious red.

 _Fatherhood._ A child. A piece of Chiyoko and himself to raise and love and protect. He has dreamed about such a thing before, but the time to try for one never seemed right. Now, quite by accident, he has such a future to look forward to.

He leans in to kiss her senseless. Madara slams the front door open, shouting for him.

The only reason he goes with his babbling older brother at all is because of the ringing laughter his betrothed gifts him with.

\-----

Izuna feels a headache building as he looks down at the motionless figure in his brother's bed.

" _Really_ , Brother? I know you two have your spats, but bashing him over the head with _this_ is hardly healthy."

He ignores Madara's insulted sputtering as he activates his sharingan, trying to figure out how to pull his brother's ham-fisted Tsukuyomi into something more manageable. He tries to ignore the deep bite on his former enemy's shoulder and the bruise on his throat. (Ew, Brother. _Eww._ )

"I didn't-!" Madara finally manages to form words. "I wasn't angry at _him!_ " He trails off at the look Izuna gives him.

"You put him the _Tsukuyomi_ , Madara. It's a _torture technique._ " The man blanches guiltily. 

"Not always! You've said yourself that you and Chiyoko have used it during sex!"

Definitely a headache. Izuna closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance. _Really._ He had been trying so valiantly to ignore the fact that Madara had managed to send his boyfriend into a _coma_ during an intimate encounter. 

"Because I'm a _master_ of it, you great idiot. I can use it to show her my love _without_ overwhelming her with the force of it. And she knows what the Tsukuyomi is; she can prepare herself to receive it. You..." He gestures between the two men, one still staring into nothing, the other looking more and more guilty as Izuna speaks.

 _Good._ Moron. Izuna has no love for Tobirama, but his brother has crossed a rather significant line. He will do his part to keep quiet about this, but he can't guarantee others won't find out if this occurs again. Madara would lose a great amount of standing in the clan for this sort of gaffe.

"You hammered your point home with the most disjointed, overpowered version of this I've ever seen. You're lucky I'm here, Madara. I can fix it so that he'll wake up in a few hours instead of a _week._ "

His brother makes a noise like a dying animal as Izuna activates his own mangekyou and begins to straighten the mess out.

\-----

Nearly an hour later finds him in his brother's kitchen absently eating a piece of cake as Madara finally breaks and fills him in on the whole story. It is...startling. 

He thinks of his joy at being told of his impending fatherhood. Tries to imagine looking at any child of Chiyoko's and considering them to be expendable.

Senju Tobirama was one of the first things his sharingan ever burned into his mind. Short and determined, wielding a sword that was meant for a man's size and reach. It is disconcerting to think of what that strange-looking young shinobi's life in the Senju Clan had been like. He doesn't doubt that the Uchiha clan has its own share of hidden tragedies and unwanted children, but...

He grimaces at the thought of drowning an infant out of superstition. Even if the infant was Tobirama.

Izuna presses the memory of his littlest brothers out of his mind and frowns thoughtfully. "One of cousin Aiya's children was talking about some rumor that the Senju discovered Tobirama's elemental nature before he could even walk properly. I dismissed it as some child bragging, but now I wonder if someone didn't try to make good on that threat."

Madara goes so violently still that Izuna nearly searches for an intruder. It takes his brother some time to calm down enough to speak again.

"It no longer matters what the Senju say. Tobirama is mine now; he will no longer be returning to them."

Once, Izuna would have jumped on this opportunity to drive a rift between the clans. Now he thinks of the village's hospitals and how many more women are surviving childbirth. He sets his fork down.

"Brother."

Madara looks at him almost defiantly. 

"Brother, you cannot just steal a Senju-" Madara interrupts him "He's not a Senju anymore! He's mine!" Izuna glares " _Steal a Senju_ and expect people to be okay with that. Have you even talked to _him_ about leaving his clan?"

His brother cannot meet his eyes when he answers. "I have the paperwork all written up. You know the sharingan makes forging such things laughably easy."

Izuna allows the silence to drag on until his brother sinks lower in his seat and slumps his shoulders. He sighs mentally. A grown man should not pout so much.

"...I'll talk to him about it."

\-----

Madara sends his brother back to Chiyoko with his apologies for interrupting their morning, as well as the last slice of cake. He returns to his bedroom and sits penitently in seiza position next to the bed. There's a bandage wrapped around Tobirama's eyes to keep them closed, preventing them from becoming dried out, and Madara has trouble looking at him.

He has harmed his lover in his anger and that is unforgivable. The Senju Clan certainly do not deserve Tobirama's loyalty, but perhaps neither does Madara.

Madara is brave enough to take his boyfriend's hand as he waits, but only allows himself that small comfort.

\-----  
__  
He can register the images, now. The emotions are banked, but no less real. He is no longer seeing from within Madara's head, instead he is to the side, watching the scenes ripple.  
**I Want...**  
Tobirama facing the one-way windows of the Hokage's Office, Madara behind him, fucking him as if to show the world his claim.  
**I Want...**  
Breakfast together in the late mornings as Tobirama fights with Madara's permanently snarled hair, teasing him that one day he will simply cut it all off.  
**I Want...**  
Arguments and angry silences. Misunderstandings and hurt feelings. A hand holding his under the covers despite their tempers.  
**I Want...**  
Nieces and nephews and children in between, the aggravation of babysitting and the unstated competition to be the 'best' Uncle.  
**I Want...**  
Madara with hair as white as his own. Frail, wrinkled skin spotted with age marks. Two elderly men drifting to sleep while wrapped in each other's arms and they will not wake.  
**I Want...**  


Tobirama wakes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that somewhere across the many planes of existences, dahtwitchi's Bad Blue!Madara randomly felt very smug about one of his possible alternates cockblocking Izuna for once.


	4. Swing Life Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobirama wakes up.  
> Words are had.  
> And then lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be longer and angsty-er but flu.

Madara jerks in surprise as Tobirama sits up suddenly. He barely has time to register this before his lover throws himself at him with a gruff growl of "You _asshole!_ "

He is tackled to the floor and can't help the hiss of pain as his boyfriend straddles his waist, pinning his wrists. Sitting seiza like he had for so long was good for penitence and showing remorse, but it certainly caused problems for a fight. The pins and needles sensation of blood returning to his legs is crippling.

Madara can't pay the pain attention. Not when Tobirama's face is hovering over his own, expression rapidly shifting between emotions. As expected, he finally settles on anger. Madara is relieved. He is very familiar with anger.

"What the _fuck_ was that for?!" Tobirama's eyes are burning him with their accusation and betrayal. Madara knows he deserves it, deserves so much more, but it still cuts at his heart to see his lover so truly angry.

"I'm _sorry_ , Tobi. I wasn't thinking clearly and I was so angry and-"

"But _why?_ I don't...What did I _do?_ And that genjutsu. I've never lost who I am before, Madara. I thought I was going to be erased from my own mind. What could I possibly have done to deserve that?" Tobirama's hands are shaking and he's lowered his head so that Madara cannot see his eyes. It aches at him, seeing this man coming to all the wrong conclusions and hearing how horribly close he had come to losing his lover forever.

"And what you _showed_ me. I don't understand..." He trails off finally, his expression so lost and confused that Madara finally begins to struggle. He hates that look. Hates how it reminds him of how painful his lover's life has been. Tobirama releases his arms and Madara sits up quickly, pulling the other man into a desperate hug.

"No, no, Tobirama I _swear_ to you that you've done nothing to upset me. I fucked up, this is my fault. I let my temper get away from me and I took it out on you."

It's a pathetic excuse and he knows it. Madara is _strong_ in a way very few people are. He can go toe-to-toe with the man others call the 'God of Shinobi' and occasionally win. He can devastate land and sea with his jutsu and his rage. He _knows_ this, _knows_ that he has a level of responsibility to watch his own power while around his friends and allies.

He buries his face in the crook of Tobirama's neck, ashamed of himself. "I wanted you to see what I see when I look at you. I learned about your mother's attempts to arrange a marriage and I panicked. I love you. I miss you when you aren't around. My life is better for you having been in it. I don't want to lose you to some sense of duty."

Tobirama has been still and quiet, listening to Madara speak and undoubtedly catching on to everything unspoken. He sighs and finally returns the embrace from where he sits on his boyfriend's lap.

"That was a _fucking stupid_ way to go about it. My entire mind feels bruised." Madara huffs a laugh he cannot help. Tobirama rarely swears outside of bedroom activities and this is the second curse he's heard from the man today.

He rests his head against his lover. "...Don't go. I don't care who in my clan is trying to drive you off, I'll deal with them. Don't leave me, Tobirama."

The younger man's arms tighten around him. "I won't. You can't just do that, though. I had no idea what was going on and that is hardly a natural state for me."

Tobirama is attempting one of his terrible jokes and Madara thinks that maybe they'll be okay after all. 

Their stomachs growl and he recalls that neither of them had yet eaten. He reluctantly parts from the other man and they get to their feet with differing degrees of annoyance. Madara would much rather spend the day in bed, reassuring himself and Tobirama that everything is going to end well. 

But for all their strengths, they are frustratingly human and that encompasses a number of essential functions that must be attended. They can continue this conversation at another time.

Besides, Izuna had said that he and Chiyoko would be visiting for lunch. Apparently they have news and his little brother can check to make sure Tobirama's recovery is doing well.

\-----

They have just enough time to clean up and begin to cook a simple meal when Madara hears the familiar clatter and yell of his brother entering the house. He raises his eyebrows as he peers out of the kitchen to see the man gently settling his Intended at the table. It's not often that Chiyoko will allow the man to carry her around instead of simply using her wheelchair. Her injuries get enough stares from the rest of the world; having them set so obviously alongside his admittedly good-looking brother often causes a rush of rumors to spread.

Yet now she is settling on her chair with the grace of a queen and allowing her husband-to-be to flit around her in an attempt to anticipate every whim she might have.

Odd.

"We'll have the food out in a moment. Izuna! Stop bothering Chiyoko and pour out tea, would you?"

Izuna straightens and whips around towards the kitchen, where Tobirama is just plating up the stir-fry. "Wait! What exactly are we having? How spicy is it? What are the ingredients? You washed everything well, right?" He ignores his former rival's presence completely as he begins to suspiciously inspect the food. Madara trades a look of bewilderment with his boyfriend before they leave Izuna to it. He should probably introduce Tobirama to Chiyoko anyway, while his brother is so distracted.

If Tobirama somehow puts his foot in his mouth by commenting on Chiyoko's injuries, it would be best for everyone that Izuna not hear it.

"Chiyoko, I'm glad to see you again. This is Tobirama. Tobirama, this is Uchiha Chiyoko, who was pitying enough to accept Izuna's engagement proposal." 

She laughs at him and gives Tobirama a slight bow from her sitting position. He does the same, looking her over with a curious gaze, but only after giving Madara a small frown.

"A pleasure as always, Madara. I've heard much about you, Tobirama-san." Chiyoko is smiling but guarded, for obvious reasons. Izuna and Tobirama have their own history from the battlefields.

He doesn't comment on it, only turning his head slightly, as if listening for some whisper. The silence between the three of them drags until his red eyes widen in comprehension of...whatever it was he had gotten distracted by. Both he and Chiyoko regard the man with varying degrees of puzzlement.

Finally, he nods firmly. "Would ginger tea be appropriate?"

Madara feels strangely lost as Chiyoko perks up in surprised interest. "Really? I would very much appreciate some, thank you." The other man nods and swiftly returns to the kitchen. Madara and Chiyoko can hear the muffled sounds of Tobirama scolding Izuna away from the food.

He gives up and seats himself at the table, manners be damned. "I thought you preferred licorice tea? What was all that about?" She smiles coyly at him and shakes her head. They fall quickly into an easy conversation regarding some light-hearted clan gossip. Uncle Setsuna's cat kept finding its way to the Inuzuka kennel and refused to be discouraged from teasing the ninja hounds. Cousin Tsuki was trying to find a new sort of lipchap for the Uchiha children learning the Grand Fireball technique. Hikaku had leveled a training field when he'd learned about his brother's marriage.

Which brought the conversation to her and Izuna's quickly upcoming nuptials. They would be the first Uchiha couple to marry in Konoha, the first of the two Founding Clans, in fact. A great many people are pressing for them to make a show of the event. Then those people get a good look at her scars and immediately back away, citing that they would surely prefer a more private event.

It pisses Chiyoko off when people think she should be hidden away because of her injuries. She and Izuna (and Madara to a degree) are planning the biggest, most widely attended wedding celebration they could get away with as a pointed 'Fuck You' to those flighty fools.

Madara plans on bringing Hashirama into the scheme. The resulting spectacle would surely be remembered for decades to come.

Their sinister plotting about flower arrangements and color patterns is interrupted for the arrival of lunch. Tobirama gives them both a strange look as he takes his place at Madara's side. For once, Izuna doesn't call them out on holding hands at the table, probably because he and Chiyoko are doing the same.

There is some pleasant small talk as they eat. Izuna briefly interrogates Tobirama about any lingering effects of the Tsukuyomi and gives Madara another off-hand scolding. Tobirama is recruited into the Revenge Wedding as a Potential Ally should the weather turn. A water user of his level of prowess could surely convince the rain to part for the bride and groom when they walk to the shrine; it would be just dramatic enough to give that old biddy Auntie who keeps pushing for her own daughter to be wed to Izuna an apoplexy.

Tobirama gravely informs Chiyoko that it would be a shame if a rainspout just happened to break while her Auntie was underneath it. She agrees that such an occurrence would be a true tragedy, as her Auntie will be wearing a very expensive new kimono that very much resembles the bride's own outfit. Izuna looks between the two of them helplessly as an alliance is born.

Finally, lunch ends with everyone's stomach's sated and the other couple get around to the real purpose of their visit.

"Brother, I wanted you to be the first to know-" Chiyoko shoots Tobirama a grateful look "-that, well." He blushes and looks to his Intended with a soft, adoring smile, too overcome to continue. She takes over without a pause, smiling beatifically at her nearly brother-in-law and his own partner, joy shining on her face.

"We're going to have a baby!"


	5. This Isn't Giving Up, No This is Letting Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much drama for these darling murder children to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title inspired by Rise Against - This is Letting Go.  
> Because if Tobirama wasn't a ninja I think he'd make a really good punk campaigning for societal change.
> 
> And Madara would be his long-suffering boyfriend with the bail money.

_A Child._ It is well past lunch by the time Izuna and Chiyoko finally take their leave to go inform her siblings of the happy news and Madara is still dazed at the thought. Izuna has to physically pull him aside before they go to have a private word with him while Tobirama and Chiyoko discuss prenatal care plans.

"Brother, before we go. There is something about Tobirama I need to speak to you about." He turns his thoughts quickly from his future niece or nephew and focuses on his brother's expression.

"What's wrong? Is it about the Tsukuyomi?" 

Izuna's mouth twists and he lowers his eyebrows in concentration. "Not quite? There was just something concerning when I was separating his mind from your memories. It was easier than it should have been to disassociate himself, as if he regularly doesn't fully consider himself to be real. I don't know what goes on in your Senju's head and I don't _want_ to know, but you should have some warning about whatever it is that's messing him up."

Madara tries not to scoff too loudly. "He's a ninja and a damn good one. There's not a one of us who isn't 'messed up'." Izuna swats at him, still frowning. "I'm just telling you that there's something odd going on and I highly doubt it's a result of your idiotic move this morning."

Chiyoko calls for Izuna and he turns to go. Madara reaches out to grab him in one more hug and tries to keep his voice steady "I am so happy for you, little brother."

\-----

They two of them are quiet after their guests leave and they begin to clean up, each one lost in their own thoughts. Madara is still in a wonderful sort of shock. Izuna's child will be born into a world where the Uchiha and the Senju are no longer fighting. The child will be able to grow up away from the blood-soaked battlefields that their uncles had fallen on. They are a symbol of hope for the village...

"Do you want children of your own, someday?" Tobirama's soft question draws him from his musings. The other man isn't facing him, turned to the sink as he finishes the washing up. "I can't...Obviously I cannot give you any."

Madara leans against his side and wraps an arm around his waist. Their interrupted discussion still needs to be had and now it has an entire new facet with which his boyfriend will be preoccupied.

For this, Madara must be honest. "I've thought about it; Heirs tend to be expected when one is Clan Head, especially with the violent lives we live. Izuna is my heir right now and I see no reason why succession cannot be continued through his line." He hums to himself, taking a drying rag to help with the dishes.

"Having a child for the joy of having one? I...wouldn't mind that. I have always enjoyed having children around." Tobirama nods in agreement. They both adore kids. Teaching them, raising them, being the ones to dry away tears and offer comfort when needed...

"If you wished to marry-" Ah, Madara knew this would come up. " _ **No.**_ " "But-" " _No,_ Tobirama." The other man narrows his eyes at him and Madara has a sudden suspicion as to how the Uchiha who were plotting with _that woman_ got under his lover's skin.

Tobirama pulls the plug on the sink and washes his hands, an automatic act that Madara finds adorable about him. He is always so mindful of containments getting into his labs that the sanitation practices get transfered into his daily life.

"If there's anything I learned from watching my parents, it's that love isn't necessary to have children. I know you-" A look of wonder crosses his tattooed face and Madara can't decide if he loves the expression or hates what it means "- you love me, even if I don't understand _why_ , but that doesn't mean you should let me keep you from-" Madara interrupts him again, tossing the rag over the cleaned dishes and grabbing his boyfriend by the elbows, turning the man to finally face him.

"You are 'keeping me' from nothing, you great idiot. I will be an uncle before the year is out and should I later feel the absolute need for a child, _we_ will discuss what to do then. There are plenty of orphans in need of a home and adopting from outside the clan would keep the inheritance to Izuna and his children.

That Tobirama can still look him in the eyes even after Madara had...He draws him in, holding him closely in a loose grip. _This man. This foolish, wonderful man!_

"And what about you? Don't you want a brood of tiny Tobiramas to fuss over? I know that you're already wrapped around your nephew's finger and he's not even a full month old." Hashirama had sent letters. _So many letters._ Madara may be a little sore that he missed out on seeing Tobirama losing his composure and crying from happiness when he first held the boy.

The man in question doesn't answer right away and when he does, Madara is surprised. "No...Even if I were attracted to women, I would not wish for a child of my own."

Madara pulls back to look at him, not having expected that admission from a man who quietly adores every child in their Village. There is a sorrow in his lover's expression as his eyes look into a past Madara has never seen.

"I would fear that they would be cursed in the eyes of my family. Any child of my body could be albino as well and...I do not wish for them to go through what I survived."

The earth under Madara's feet seems to fall away from him and his gentle grip becomes solid iron bars holding Tobirama to him. _That damned clan. That damned woman._ Of course the other man would have such fears; Madara cannot even reassure him that they would be inaccurate.

He imagines _that woman_ getting her hands on Tobirama's child, one that shares his pretty eyes and coarse hair, and...

"Did you really learn your elemental nature because someone tried to drown you?"

Tobirama freezes in his arms and Madara is mortified by his own idiocy. He wonders if sinking through the floor with an earth jutsu would be in bad taste. It _is_ his house; he can ruin the floors if he wants to!

"That...where did you hear that, Madara?" 

"It isn't making the gossip circles. One of the Senju kids was bragging that you'd figured out your nature before you could walk properly and-" Tobirama shuts his eyes with an exasperated sigh. "And you extrapolated from that based on what you know of my past."

Madara nods and decides not to mention that it had been Izuna who had made the connection. Tobirama is silent for a few more moments.

"I was very young, so I don't recall much. Hashirama tells me that some of our Aunties took the younger children to a lake within Senju lands and intentionally allowed me to crawl too close to the water's edge. I remember the fear and the feeling of water filling my lungs...Brother says my chakra forced a hole in the lake's water when I fell unconscious. If he hadn't dove in to retrieve me the exhaustion from such an act would surely have killed me more swiftly than drowning."

His voice is clinical, his words technical and precise. No emotion was allowed to color his description but for the way his hands dig into Madara's robes.

Madara...Madara wants to burn the world in his rage. He doesn't. His temper has harmed Tobirama already this day and he cannot allow a repeat. Attacking the Senju would be self-defeating after everything that has been done to build this peace, but it is a fantasy he will allow himself to indulge in later.

Now, now he holds his lover's hand and carefully pulls him from the kitchen and to the home office that they've taken to sharing. Tobirama allows himself to be led, a look of bemusement slowly winning out over old trauma. Madara settles him at his desk and turns to his own to retrieve the paperwork. 

He sets the filled forms for self-expulsion from a clan in front of his stunned lover.

" _Please._ "

Madara gets to his knees before the desk as he speaks, lowering himself until his forehead touches the floor in a formal dogeza.

"I will stay at your side for as long as you will have me no matter what you choose. I will continue to _love you_ no matter what you choose. If you need time for a decision I will wait for as long as it takes and still be there after you have made it. Putting you in the Tsukuyomi, that was a action that I will regret until my dying day, but what I showed you in it...that was _real._ You have never needed to earn my love or do anything to keep it now that I have freely given it to you."

"This isn't an attempt to push you into joining the Uchiha Clan, though I would welcome you without reservation. The Senju Clan has betrayed you, its _son_ , time and time again. I know there are people with it that you love and who love you in turn, but..."

"Please."

"Take this weapon away from the ones who would hurt you further."

There is a silence that stretches between them.

Madara knows what he is asking is...Not Done. Only a few paltry years in the past, such an action would mark Tobirama as a Traitor to the Clan and in many minds it still might. Tongues would burn for the speed it will take for knowledge of this decision to spread.

Tobirama leaving his clan would set a precedent whose ramifications no one could possibly calculate.

Madara just wants him _safe._

The quiet skritching of a quill pen fills Madara's ears and his heart stops before it begins to beat in double time. He is desperate to raise his head, but forces himself to stay still.

There is a pause. He can hear Tobirama taking a shaky breath before he blows lightly on the ink to dry it. The man stands and moves around the desk to kneel at Madara's side. He doesn't move from his position until Tobirama runs a hand over his back.

"May I borrow a hawk?"

\-----

The papers are on their way to the Tower and Tobirama is pushing Madara onto his back, kissing and nipping at his neck as his hands pull the Uchiha's robes open. He barely has time to brace himself before the man trails a line of filthy kisses down his chest before settling himself determinedly between Madara's legs.

\-----

That night the Lady Senju sits alone in her garden, watching the reflection of the waning moon in the still pond. Her countenance is refined and as calm as the night as she sips her tea.

Inside, she is _seething_. Her Eldest had struck an unexpected blow at the Clan Meeting, one that is shaking her support base. That _creature_ she had birthed has slipped away from the Clan that had given him _everything._

She sets her teacup down. There is no sign of life nearby.

All is not lost. Her Eldest is no longer needed now that he has produced an heir and the boy had always had a special weakness for the thing he calls his brother. 

She extends her hand and lets a scrap of paper be caught up by an errant breeze. It vanishes into the shadows. There is a rustle.

Orders received.

The Lady Senju smiles.


	6. Savoring this Heart that's Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobirama doesn't regret his decision, but it's been a stressful day.
> 
> Madara meets the family.
> 
> Chapter Title from Flyleaf's All Around Me

" _You love me._ "

The words are whispered against his hip as they lie in the shared office, basking in the afterglow.

"I love you."

\-----

"I killed a child."

Madara watches Tobirama stare into his tea. They are sitting across from one another at the table, having just finished their evening meal.

"You and Brother built this village to try to keep children from battle and I didn't hesitate to kill him when my squad was attacked."

Madara carefully prise his lover's hands from their death grip on his cup and holds them carefully in his own. Tobirama dully follows the action, his face a marble slab as Madara presses his lips to them.

"There's blood on them." It's a warning. A plea.

"I still love you."

\-----

"Without the backing of the Senju, I have nothing to offer you."

"You are worth more than anything they could ever give me."

\-----  
\-----  
\-----

The first time Madara had awoken in the middle of the night to an empty bed, he had felt Tobirama's violently distraught chakra in the kitchen and had investigated immediately, fully prepared to find his lover fending off assassins. Instead what he had come across was the man sitting utterly still and silent at Madara's table, head cradled in his hands. What Madara had seen of his face was grief-stricken and his eyes had stared through any attempt to interact with him. His chakra had been twisting itself so badly that it had felt like there were other people in the room.

Eventually, Madara had gone back to his bed alone, though he had found no rest until Tobirama rejoined him hours later. The next day Tobirama had insisted that he didn't know what Madara was asking about. The frustrated Uchiha had almost written the episode off as some sort of sleep-walking, but Hashirama told him that Tobirama had never had that problem. Hashirama had _never seen_ Tobirama act in such a way.

"His chakra has always done that when he was upset or having a nightmare, even when he was a kid." Was his best friend's attempt to answer his questions. "No one really thinks much of it anymore. I guess we've gotten used to it."

Eventually Madara had had to give in and allow his curiosity to go unfulfilled; Tobirama was set on ignoring the rare occurrences and no one else had ever made note of them besides the obvious chakra manipulation. He would wake when his lover would leave their bed, following his own chakra from the room as if being lead. He would keep his senses focused on the man, keeping track of his state just in case there was a drastic change to the routine, and only return to sleep when the chakra seemed to pull itself back into Tobirama's coils.

 _It has never been so difficult to watch as it is right now._ Madara keeps a tired eye on the bedroom door, wondering if this latest attack was a result of his appalling use of the Tsukuyomi or if the reality of Tobirama's departure from the Senju had triggered it. 

Whatever the cause, it had been going on for hours now.

Madara loathes the helplessness that grips him, the inability to soothe his lover's obvious pain. The chakra grates on his senses as it spins and coalesces repeatedly, as if _almost_ forming a set of shadow clones, only to break apart and begin the process anew. He _hates_ it. Hates how terrifyingly little chakra Tobirama leaves for himself during these episodes, as if he were trying to force life itself into the continual patterns. 

He gives up on his attempts to monitor from a distance and pulls on a robe before heading for the kitchen. Keeping his physical eyes on the man would calm his mind just enough to meditate. He needed to debrief properly later this morning about the Uzu trip and he was going to need all his wits about him to accurately describe that mess.

Madara enters the room and freezes as Tobirama's head snaps up at the movement. He casts his senses out further, searching for something, _anything_ , that would explain this change. There is nothing but the two separate chakra whorls on either side of his lover, always trying to become something alive.

"It wasn't his fault; it was my decision."

Tobirama is speaking, but not to him. Madara moves cautiously to the seat across from the man still gazing into the middle distance. One of the whorls grows minutely, a foreign signature made from Tobirama's chakra. It's him and it isn't and Izuna's warning about disassociation rattles in his head as a dark suspicion begins to form.

Perhaps the Tsukuyomi was responsible for this after all. Perhaps it had knocked something loose or inspired some new way to unconsciously create these psuedo-beings. Madara forces down the ill feeling in his stomach and reaches out to take Tobirama's hands in his own the same way he had earlier that day. Yesterday. Whichever.

"Tobi." Madara focuses on keeping his voice calm as the man in front of him responds with a slow blink, barely registering his presence. It was more of a reaction than he'd ever gotten before. "Would you introduce me to them?"

A pause. A breath. An answer after so long that Madara was beginning to worry that he had lost his chance.

"They're not real."

 _Calm, calm, calm_ Madara chants the word in his mind. It is a very good sign that Tobirama realizes this on some level. 

There have been rare cases in the Uchiha Clan's history where a sharingan user is left so bereft that they turn their powers on themselves, creating a false world in their own minds. Madara had read about them in his preparation to become Clan Head. Part of him had always been morbidly jealous of those few clan members; they may have died in a world of lies, but it was undoubtedly a peaceful death.

Tobirama has no sharingan to force his will upon himself, but he has significantly powerful and the prodigious control to force his will upon the world itself. It shakes Madara to the core to realize that his lover has been trying to rewrite reality every time he's had such an episode. _Since he was a child_ Madara remembers and he briefly closes his eyes to spare himself the full implications.

"Introduce me anyway, Tobirama."

He has a feeling he already knows how this will go. 

Tobirama nods slowly and directs a name to each of the creations in turn.

"Itama. Kawarama."

There's a flicker of cognizance and immense sorrow as his lover slowly begins to pull the chakra back into himself, as if speaking their names had banished the darkness that had been feeding on him.

"Your brothers."

"They're dead. I felt them die."

Madara swallows, understanding a painful weight in his chest.

"You want to feel them alive again."

The chakra in the air is less and Tobirama seems to be regaining his sense of self with every passing moment. Madara feels the hands he's holding squeeze his. Tobirama doesn't respond except to close his eyes and bow his head, looking drained despite his refilling reserves.

It is impulse to call out to the dwindling proxies of the dead children, but Madara cannot imagine what it must feel like for Tobirama to lose his brothers again and again.

"Oi, you two...rest easy. I'll watch out for your big brother from now on."

Tobirama's eyes open and focus on him as the last of his renegade chakra returns to him. Madara kisses his captive hands and sends a prayer to the gods. For what exactly he isn't sure.

"...you played along?" His lover's voice sounds lost and afraid, possibly of himself. Madara swears to find every scrap of knowledge the clan has to help the man with this.

"I'm glad to have finally met them." Tobirama looks away, looks _ashamed_ , and Madara thinks of the three surviving members of his father's child-hunting squads. He isn't foolish enough to think that Tobirama might not recognize the signatures of some of the men who had killed his brothers. He can't imagine how infuriated he would be if he were in his lover's place.

"Come back to bed, Tobi."

Madara gets the feeling that if he had the energy, Tobirama would be giving him an incredulous stare. It was likely a great fear of his to have this secret discovered. Madara only rises and gently pulls the other man along with him. Tobirama continues to stare at him for several moments before giving in with a sigh of what might be relief.

 _Tomorrow,_ Madara plans as he returns them both to their bed _Tomorrow I will fix this, too._


	7. Every Single One's Got a Story to Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life doesn't stop for your drama, boys.
> 
> Every decision has its repercussions.
> 
> (But most of this chapter is porn and also weirdly light-hearted. )  
> (Do let me know what you think.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes.

Madara cannot stay in bed, nor can he afford to leave a shadow clone behind. He has his duty to report in and he cannot shirk that.

He wants to, though. He wants to be there when Tobirama wakes up. He hates the idea of leaving the man alone so soon after the events of the last night.

He leaves a note on the pillow. " _I love you_ "

On the bathroom mirror. " _I love you_ "

On the kitchen table. " _I love you_ "

* * *

The day is only just dawning but the Tower is as busy as ever (and the whispers start even before he walks in). The Clerks are preparing for their shift change, yawning and murmuring to one another as they ferry papers back and forth through the halls. Bureaucracy is ever the life-blood of a thriving village and Madara obligingly steps out of the way of one hurried individual weighed down with scrolls. He notes the colored bands out of habit and keeps his face straight. Outright cruelty is not tolerated in the administration of Konoha and there is a significant push to limit it in other areas of the village as well.

A bit of casual hazing, though...

There's no department denoted by _stripes_ and as the young ninja passes him by again, undoubtedly looking for the nonexistent recipient, Madara grunts meaningfully. There is more than a little satisfaction in seeing the ninja do a double-take at him, evidently having completely missed exactly who it was they had been dashing around in the crowded hallway.

"Ah-! Uchiha-sama?! What can I do for you, sir?" He watches the ninja try to juggle the scrolls in their arms in order to salute. Or bow. Madara isn't sure which and he highly doubts the other knows either. He waves the attempt at formality off and casually plucks the false scroll from the pile. A quick check of the chakra seal confirms it to be a prank waiting for the hapless Clerk to give in to desperation and look inside the scroll for any clues as to where it must go.

He glances at the mask covering the ninja's upper face, ignoring the stares they were getting from passing busybodies. "This one belongs to my department; I'll pick it up as long as I'm here. Who did you get it from?" 

("Did you hear? He kidnapped the Hokage's brother! Lord Hashirama cannot rescue the poor man without risking war!")

They stutter in surprise, but quickly answer the question. Madara knows the individuals from several similar incidents. He nods and waves the Clerk-nin away; all the rest of the scrolls are legitimate.

("They say he forced someone to leave their clan...")

He continues on his way to the larger of the specially sealed debriefing rooms, filing away the whispers and focusing on the matter at hand. The Uzu trip and the elopement.

("He used his eyes." "He killed Tobirama and the Uchiha are trying to cover it up!" "Careful of that one...")

* * *

Six hours, five different tear-filled breakdowns from just as many political lawyers, two accusations of bloodline theft, and ten rewritten official responses to congratulate the happy couple later, Madara watches the last of the advisors and politicians file out of the room to group in the hallway. Their low murmuring is barely noticeable even with the doors opened to relieve some of the stuffy atmosphere.

Hashirama slumps back in his chair with a soft laugh and stretches out his arms, cracking his knuckles like a commoner. "The next time you tell me that anyone in your clan is perfect diplomat material, I am going to remind you of this. Mito is furious that she didn't get to attend the wedding, by the way."

The man turns a grin in Madara's direction and he can't bring himself to return it. Hashirama's face falters. "Madara? Something on your mind?"

He checks the door once more before moving closer, eyes narrowing. "You are awfully cavalier for a man who arranged for his own brother to be stolen away."

Madara's suspicions are confirmed as Hashirama slowly lowers his arms and becomes serious. The change from amiable buffoon to dangerously intelligent opponent was always a strange thing to see, no matter how often Madara has witnessed it. There is no shame in his oldest friend's eyes and Madara cannot help respecting the play he had made even if it meant using Tobirama and himself as pieces.

"I set the field to favor that outcome, but in the end you were the deciding factor, weren't you?"

"You-!" Madara barely restrains himself from slamming his fists onto the Hokage's desk. The thrum of voices outside the room doesn't abate. He leans in, hissing in his anger, "He's your _brother!_ How could you be so willing to lose him?"

Something flat and cold falls like a veil over Hashirama's expression and Madara wonders how those normally expressive features could even be so still.

The silence is ringing and in that moment the both of them realize that the buzzing din of the Hokage Tower had stopped. They look to the door as one, expecting to see the cautious faces of their underlings peeking in on their argument. Instead, nearly every head is subtly turned towards the end of the hall where the staircase is. There is the quiet shuffling of bystanders moving out of the way that marks an otherwise silent stride.

Tobirama appears at the door with a vaguely unimpressed look to his face and a take-away bag in hand, seeming to completely ignore the tense silence as avid gawkers look between him and his former Clan Head. 

"Hashirama." He nods courteously in his brother's direction before turning his attention to Madara and... "I brought lunch. Are you free?"

Madara might have answered if he had not been struck speechless by the dull gray armor and smartly-cut black pants of the recently formed Konoha Black Ops that his boyfriend is wearing, with the addition of his fur mantle. Between the monochrome theme of the outfit and Tobirama's natural red eyes, the man looks like some sort of ghostly lion trapped in human form, its animal nature just barely contained within frail flesh and bone.

He barely reacts when Hashirama rises from his chair and heads to the door, clapping Madara's back as he passes. The brief jolt of chakra is enough to snap him out of his dazed thoughts.

"He's very free, Brother." Madara follows his friend to the doorway, hardly taking his eyes from the most dangerous creature he's ever met.

He vaguely notes that Hashirama is sweeping out the door to cajole the onlookers away when the accidental glimpse of a familiar face jogs his memory. 

Madara scoops up the green-striped scroll and leans out the doorway, calling to his Hokage and lobbing it at him. "Hey Hashirama, this one's yours, courtesy of Takeda Aki and Togashi down in Records. Might want to deal with it right away."

He very carefully doesn't look at the shocked little Clerk ninja who is about to witness their leader get hit with an ink-trap scroll. Madara pulls Tobirama into the newly abandoned room and locks the doors mere moments before Hashirama's squawk of dismay.

They both ignore him. 

Tobirama reaches past him to reactivate the privacy seals for the room and Madara catches his arm the moment they engage, pulling him into an embrace. The other man folds unexpectedly easily into the gesture, one hand coming up to grip tightly to Madara's robes.

"Tobi?"

"...Hashirama thought ahead enough to have his supporters box up my labs in the Senju district, but my clothes...Wearing anything with the Senju symbol would...They sent someone to collect the clan's property."

Madara holds him closer and runs his hands over shaking arms, trying to calm his lover's state, only to be surprised by the growl of frustrated rage the man lets out.

"And of _course_ the entire village knows about it by now; you would think I were liable to shatter into pieces at any moment! As if I regret leaving...Tch. Half the walk here I felt like I was in a genjutsu with the amount of staring and the _silence._ " Madara shivers as Tobirama growls again and presses him back against the door. The aggressiveness of the man is new and more than a little arousing. His lover is angry and wild, pulling at Madara's robes insistently and pressing a thigh between his legs. The rough surface of the arm guards is grating against him, though not nearly enough to put him off, but...

"Tobi, you _said_ not at work-" Madara remembers the last time Tobirama had broken his own rule and the thought of letting him do something he would later regret doesn't sit at all well with him.

" _Fuck. That._ Everyone in this blasted tower has taken an unprofessional interest in our relationship anyway; if they've all decided that we're screwing around, then for once I want to prove them right!" Teeth find their way to Madara's collarbone and he recovers himself enough to grab Tobirama's shoulders and pull him away.

"Just, wait a moment, damn you!"

The other man stops immediately, eyes wide with surprise. Madara want to let this continue more than anything, but...

"Tobi, I love you, but I'm not going to be your...your revenge fuck against the gossiping idiots of this village. If you really want this, we are going to discuss it like adults." The flicker of guilty realization on Tobirama's face only serves to confirm that he'd made the right choice.

His lover bows his head out of habit and Madara quickly catches his chin, gently keeping them face to face. Tobirama is flushed with arousal and anger and no little embarrassment at his own behavior. Madara leans in, presses a kiss to his boyfriend's cheek.

"Besides, if you want to be inside me...you know I'll need more warning than that to be ready." He smirks at the responding reddening of Tobirama's ears and relaxes his hold now that the other man seems ready to talk.

There's a part of Madara that aches to start looking for information on whatever last night could have been. There's an equal amount of him that wants to burn his way to the Lady Senju and clean house - Hashirama probably wouldn't be _too_ upset. 

He smothers both those parts and many others, banks the coals and lets the ashes settle to give Tobirama his full attention.

His lover finally sighs and reaches up to lay his hand over Madara's. "I Want you. I...damn it, Madara. I had something _planned_ for when you got back to the village, I..."

Madara has never seen Tobirama's face quite so red as it is now.

"I _practiced_ , okay? I missed you and I wanted to have you take me, so I've been _ready_ for days now and I Want to indulge you in one of your ridiculously showy fantasies." Tobirama's eyes narrow at him and he wonders what kind of expression he must be making because his brain stalled on the word 'practiced'. 

"But if you'd rather we return home or wait until la-!"

Madara pulls him in for a searing kiss and very firmly puts a stop to any of _that_ sort of talk. If he had known just how mouthy Tobirama could get when they had started dating...well. He probably would have begun a relationship with him sooner. He loves that mouth.

The man in his arms breaks the kiss with a groan and tries to move down to Madara's neck before he is stopped by a hand tugging pointedly at his trousers.

"Still so eager, Tobirama? I love that. I love seeing how you look when you want me." The shiver that runs through his lover does not go unnoticed and Madara rewards him with a frustratingly chaste peck on the lips. Tobirama glares at him.

"I Want to take you at your brother's desk. I Want to face you while I drive you mad."

* * *

Madara's not sure how they got from the door to the desk, but he is very pleased with the result. Tobirama is on his back, his gray flak jacket is separated, but not removed and Madara's pulled his shirt up far enough to scatter bite marks over his chest. Gloved hands pull the black pants away from pale hips hanging just off the edge of the desk and the Uchiha leaves them to hobble his boyfriend's legs; between the shinobi wraps and Madara settling between his knees, Tobirama would be hard-pressed to kick off the offending garment.

The look on that tattooed face as he lover comes to that realization...Madara doesn't even need the sharingan to know he will be revisiting that memory often. Apparently not even Tobirama knew how much he enjoys being tied up. He's half tempted to unhook the furred mantle and use it to tie up his hands as well but... _something to explore later._ He tugs a glove off his hand with his teeth and begins to peel the other off.

"Wait..." Madara pauses obediently. Tobirama turns his head away to glare at the far wall. "I...Want you to put you gloves back on once you're inside me. I like how they feel." 

"As you wish." He casually searches through Tobirama's ANBU gear for the lubricant while he runs his naked hand appreciatively over the younger man's thigh, dipping in to fondle and stroke him for the sheer pleasure of hearing his breath hitch at the act. He dares to run a finger teasingly downward and freezes. Tobirama makes a noise at the cessation and lifts his head to see what the problem is.

Madara's sharingan spins briefly as he admires his lover's attention to detail " _Tobirama..._ " The man in question groans and covers his face with his hands, apparently finding Madara's reaction to be beyond embarrassing. Madara allows him to take over finding the lube while he uses both hands to spread the man's asscheeks and get a better look.

"Did you walk through the village like this...? Of course you did. _Fuck_ , I love you, Tobi. Everyone must have been staring. I doubt any of them even came close to realizing what you were planning today. How long did you finger yourself before you started walking, I wonder? Filled yourself with slick already, my eager one?" 

He catches the bottle Tobirama throws half-heartedly at his head and grins wickedly at the man's mortified arousal. Despite his latest actions, the other man really didn't care much for exhibition. That he would go so far for one of Madara's kinks... 

He is the _luckiest_ man in the Elemental Nations and he is going to show his boyfriend his _full appreciation._

Madara pops open the bottle of lubricant and coats his naked fingers before getting down to business. He is _so careful_ as he presses the first digit in. 

"Talk to me, Lover. I Want to hear your voice shake while I stretch you out. How did you practice, hm? Did you use your fingers and think of my cock? Did you get off? Did you have a shadow clone bend you over and-" 

Madara laughs behind the hand that Tobirama has clamped over his mouth. He twists his fingers and a full-body shiver runs through the other man. Tobirama relents with a groan that's one part annoyance and two parts need. 

" _Fine..._ I used my fingers. In the bath." He continues to work him open as he speaks in shaky breaths, hips and words stuttering whenever he finds that particular bundle of nerves. Madara eventually decides the other is ready for him when there are more curses than pleas for him to get on with it before he loses his mind entirely. 

Neither of them are going to last very long, but that's hardly the point. 

He slicks himself up carefully and slowly begins to ease his way into the shaking body below him. Tobirama is swearing, hands scratching along Madara's back, demanding that he move _faster, dammit!_ He draws back slightly, finding a better position, readjusting the legs around his shoulders, and begins to thrust shallowly. Tobirama's pretty red eyes are wide and Madara focuses on them as he buries himself bit by bit into tight heat until he is fully sheathed. 

He waits, pressing kisses to every part Tobirama he can reach as the man adjusts with the intrusion. 

Madara is the first to do this, the first to have him, the _only_ , if he has anything to say about it. He wishes the Senju Clan could see this, see their enemy stake his claim onto a member they had driven out. See the adoration on Tobirama's face whenever he is treated so, _so_ well. 

They will hear about this. About locked doors and sealed rooms and oh they will _talk_. 

"Glove...Madara, fuck, you feel...I want you to move. _Fuck!_ " 

Right. Madara replaces his discarded glove and runs his leather-clad hands over the bruises and bites he'd left, making Tobirama whimper and squirm, trying to push himself down even further. Madara's eyes don't leave Tobirama's face as he begins to rock, hands holding the other man's hips securely in place. A rhythm settles in quickly between them, unspoken but clear in the sounds they evoke from one another. 

Madara can feel himself reaching his end and he leans forward, driving more power into his motions, grunting with the exertion. 

"Tobi...can I? Can I fill you up? I Want to come inside you. Wanna fuck you through the desk..." 

Hands in his hair and a moan of desperation that trails off into a litany of " _Yes,_ fucking _yes!_ Don't you fucking stop..." and Madara is gone. He pulls Tobirama into his thrusts without care, taking his pleasure like an animal until he reaches his peak with a harsh growl, his lover not far behind him. 

Madara presses his head against the other man's shoulder, gasping for air as they both come down from their bliss. _Perfect._ He doesn't even realize that he's mumbling quietly until Tobirama regains enough strength to laugh at him. "You...sound like a child when you do that..." 

"Do what?" He carefully begins to pull out. As much as he'd like to stay right where he is, Madara is fairly certain that Tobirama will want to avoid having his legs cramp up in this position. 

"You keep repeating 'Mine'. It's cute." Madara flushes in embarrassment as they begin the task if cleaning up. _He doesn't really, does he?_ "Don't go calling people _cute_ when they've just fucked you senseless." Tobirama scoffs at him from where he's readjusting his mantle. Some of the fur has flattened down strangely. Madara swats his hands away and fusses over it himself. 

He's not sure whether he's more proud to have left lovebites on Tobirama's bared shoulders or that the man is limping slightly. Madara decides that both is an acceptable option. 

The abandoned lunches are thrown away. 

* * *

The hallway is still cleared out by the time they leave the room, but for a single nervous looking ninja near the stairs who is looking at anything but them. Madara is surprised to note that they're the same Clerk-nin from before. 

"Ah...Hokage-sama asked me to wait..." They fiddle their thumbs nervously and quail at the raised eyebrow Tobirama gives. "He wants to know if he should, ah...burnthedesk?" The embarrassed squeak is terribly unbecoming, but Madara is in a good enough mood to excuse it. 

"Tch. Tell him that if he wants to get rid of a perfectly serviceable piece of furniture, he can stop with the dramatics and simply have it sent to Madara's house." 

The Clerk scurries off and Madara side-eyes his lover. "Have plans, do you?" 

Tobirama doesn't look amused but Madara can see a glint in his eye as they continue on their way "You did promise to fuck me through it. 

He stumbles. 


	8. Choose Your Colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every so often, no one has a crisis.
> 
> Touka has an agenda, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for giving a short chapter after such a lengthy time. I was busy with volunteering for some political stuff and then a racist got elected anyway, so I've been bummed out.
> 
> But have some Touka. Touka is probably the most competent ninja in Konoha.

There is a Senju sitting on Madara's desk and he is not sure what should be done about that, if anything. While the silent staring was mildly disconcerting, the woman had made no aggressive movements towards him since she had first waltzed into his office and sat herself down. He even faintly recognized her, though could not recall her name. She was an uncommonly tall woman, one of the only females he had ever seen on the battlefield, and he had briefly met her once before in Tobirama's office several months ago.

He shuffles his papers, refusing to be the first one to speak. He has the vague recollection of once having a staring contest with a cat as a child, and the sensation is disturbingly similar. He gets the feeling that acknowledging her at all would be on par with admitting defeat. Over what, he doesn't know for certain, but the only reason she has for being here is likely something to do with Tobirama's choice to leave his clan.

The woman shifts and leans closer, no longer settled at the edge of his desk but instead nearer to the middle, blocking his access to the 'To Do' tray. He squashes down the desire to simply push her off the way he would do to some of the more stubborn of the Uchiha's ninja cats.

He has research to do, yet he cannot in good conscious ignore his duties to the village before diving into his clan's records. Tobirama's unknowing attempts to change reality through nothing but grief and power cannot continue. If there is anything about a technique similar to what he does, Madara will find it.

But he cannot leave to do so until his more immediate responsibilities are dealt with. 

Madara resigns himself to losing the game and blandly meets the woman's eyes. Smokey make-up and dark lip paint give her an undeniably attractive and dramatic look. She is, he thinks, the kind of person that would likely have caught Izuna's interest, had he not fallen so heavily for Chiyoko. While very physically different, both women hold themselves with an uncommon strength of character and determined will. 

They stare silently at one another for several moments before the Senju nods sharply and retrieves a scroll from out of an inner pocket of her jacket. Madara accepts it with a raised eyebrow. She catches his wrist before he can pull away and pulls him halfway out of his chair with no noticeable effort. The Senju speaks quietly into his ear and he is surprised at how low her voice is pitched.

"You need to watch his back now that he's yours. Tobi deserves someone who makes him as happy as you do. Fuck it up and I'll make certain that you live to regret it."

Task completed, the woman releases him, hops off the desk with unexpected grace, and sashays out of the office. Madara finds himself staring after her, scroll in his hand nearly forgotten. It is an actual something relief to know for certain that Tobirama had not been completely reliant on his elder brother for protection from the worst of his family's cruelties. Madara can hardly imagine too many people daring to upset a woman such as that. Bemused, he inspects the scroll he'd gained and huffs a confused laugh as it proclaims to be The Care and Feeding Manual of ~~Senju~~ Tobirama. He will need to badger the story behind this out of his boyfriend later tonight.

Madara glances outside. If he gets through the rest of his tasks in a timely manner, he could visit the Uchiha's archives for at least a few hours before he heads home. As much as he would like to read his lover's 'manual', he has other things to prioritize. He tucks it into his robe anyway. Maybe he can find time to read it in the morning. Tobirama will certainly be sleeping in after Madara thanks him for bringing him lunch.

* * *

Touka strolls away from the Tower, keeping her stride easy-going and her expression reserved but not unfriendly. It is not her usual market day, but there should be little thought given to her being in this part of the village at this time. The rumors about Tobirama's defection from the Senju are thick in the air and she gathers them up with ease, noting who has what information and where they had heard it from. The Lady Senju works quickly, but those who oppose her do not slack. 

No one dares to ask her directly about the scandal, but she drops her own hints to whet the voracious appetite of the Konoha gossip chain. People do like the tales about star-crossed lovers, and to see one being played out before their eyes, well. It doesn't take much persuasion to have nattering civilians sighing over the romance of it all and to tut unfavorably at the villain. Really, what kind of mother would deny her son for finding love in this day and age? The world as we know it is changing, being too caught up in the past would only be foolish. Can you imagine either of them finding such a perfect match with anyone else? Perhaps it is an Uchiha thing; didn't one of them leave his clan to marry Lady Mito's sister? 

She continues on her way, slipping words into conversations and challenging arguments and all the while keeping on eye on two of the Lady Senju's trusted vassals as they enter an eatery to join a dark-skinned man already there. A descendant or a native of Cloud, perhaps, though his hair doesn't have quite the same body to it. Waterfall, perhaps.

Touka takes a late lunch in the outdoor cafe across the street and keeps her back to the meeting, trading small pleasantries with the server while she watches the men in the building's semi-reflective windows. A pair of Uchiha pass by and she is certain a hand-off has been made. 

Her order arrives and she smiles beatifically at the waiter, who flushes and stutters his "Please enjoy!" before retreating to another table.

The village is at peace, but some things have only changed battlefields. Luckily, those Senju who follow their clan leader tend to be flexible enough to fight under these new circumstances. 

She finds it to be a delightful challenge.


	9. Looking Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Senju try to break into the Uchiha District.
> 
> They're adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo sorry this took so long to get out! I've been busy with some private projects and if you are following me on the Tumblr _someone_ convinced me to make (you know who you are  <3), you will know what at least one of those projects is! XD
> 
> This feels a bit short to me, but I like how it turned out. Someone said I should put some lighter stuff in for balance, so let me know if you enjoyed this weird thing that isn't smut or angst.

It surprises Madara how little his and Tobirama's routines change after the latter officially leaves the Senju clan and drops the pretense of staying at his own house. The man had already been living nearly full-time in Madara's spacious home and using his dwelling on the edges of the Senju District more to store extra clothes than anything else. Everything that had been important to Tobirama had long since made its way into Madara's closets and shelves and kitchen.

The only major change to their habits has come from his research into chakra manipulation and the extreme disassociation that accompanies his lover's episodes. As much as it now pains him to leave their shared bed in the early mornings, he is determined to scour through his clan's archives for any hint as to what could be done to help Tobirama when he is trapped in his mind trying to bring back the dead.

He winces at the thought, frowning down at a journal from one of the Uchiha's many theorists on the nature of their particular abilities regarding genjutsu. The old-fashioned words on the pages barely register as he recalls the piles of notes Tobirama had made regarding his own condition. Madara had not reacted well to discovering that his lover had focused his attentions on actually trying to resurrect his brothers rather than on saving himself from accidentally draining out his chakra entirely.

Their argument had been massive and Madara came away from it with a promise from Tobirama to stop working on the Edo Tensei until after they have found a way to deal with the current danger.

Madara had even gotten the other man's leave to bring Izuna into the fold due to his skill with Tsukiyomi and his own research into non-combative sharingan usage. Of course, his brother rarely has time to himself, let alone devote hours to study; last minute preparations for his wedding have him rather frantic and if Madara has to listen to him fret about the ceremonial sake's nonexistent interference with Chiyoko's pain medication _one more time..._

He shakes his head to clear his frustration from his mind and returns to his search. Something about Tobirama's chakra proxies strikes him as significant, as something he knows but cannot identify. There was something familiar in the patterns, though he cannot pinpoint exactly what it is that is teasing at his memory.

There is a polite knock on the door frame and Madara looks to the entrance with exasperation that fades as he takes in Hikaku's stern countenance. 

"My apologies at the interruption, Lord Madara, but our guards have apprehended a group of seven armed Senju attempting to sneak into the Uchiha Compound. They are demanding to speak with your Tobirama."

Fire ignites in his chest and he abandons his current project at once, moving quickly as his mind races from inebriated clansmen to amateur assassins. This could be the beginning of a political nightmare.

* * *

Madara meets Tobirama outside the guard's secured holding station deciding immediately upon entering the room that Hikaku is due for a stint in the most dull sort of administration work he can find for the man. 

Oh, there are seven Senju alright, only he had not mentioned that the eldest of them could not be much more than ten. They are armed, but with training swords and determination on their tiny faces. Faces that light up when they see Tobirama, whose own expression is a mixture of pride, love, confusion, and exasperation. The Uchiha guards are relaxed and watching the interaction like the most entertaining of theater plays. 

"Sensei!" 

"We're here to rescue you!"

"You're not really gonna stop training us, are you?"

He stays back, letting Tobirama be swarmed by the children. Madara knows that leaving his students had been the most difficult part of leaving the clan; this proof that he is missed by them can only be good for him. It is fascinating to see how his lover crouches down to speak to his students on their levels, even as he tries to explain why he could no longer teach them and why he is no longer part of their clan.

"You may not be a Senju any longer, but I see no reason why that means you cannot continue as their teacher." Madara isn't sure where the words come from, but he continues on. There's no point in backtracking when it would only serve to make him appear weak or indecisive. "The Main House has a private dojo and its own training grounds; you are free to teach your students there."

He ignores the sense of surprise from his clansmen and Tobirama both as the apparent ringleader of the Senju children looks him over. He matches her gaze and is pleased when she doesn't flinch at the potential of his eyes. Tobirama was not as alone as he had thought in that clan; it seems that now that his admirers had lost him they are more willing to act in his interest.

The child opens her mouth.

"Are you the one who made Sensei into your enslaved sex kitten?"

Madara stares dumbly down at the girl who is very obviously awaiting an answer. Tobirama sputters in shock, a rare occurrence that Madara will never let him forget. " _Hotaru!_ Where did you even learn that phrase?!"

She pulls a slim novel from an inner pocket of her robe and holds it out for inspection. "I've been reading Mom's books!" She looks so proud. Madara bites his tongue, desperately trying not to laugh as he looks it over. It looks awful. He needs to find a copy to give to Tobirama as a gift.

"Maiden **CAUGHT** by the _Billionaire Shinobi Daimyo!_..." Tobirama looks like it physically pains him to read the title. "Hotaru, that is hardly..." He takes a breath and pinches between his eyes, visibly setting the conversation aside. Madara can almost hear his lover file the exchange into his mental file labeled 'Non-Priority'. He stands and straightens his back, determinedly avoiding looking at any of the Uchiha who are still loitering around.

"Very well. Get in formation!" 

Madara steps aside to allow the group to leave the guard station as Tobirama orders his students to gather their things, make their apologies to the Uchiha they had inconvenienced with their attempt to break in, thank Madara for the use of the private training field, and other such things. Hotaru pockets her book and continues to eye Madara. He nods at her when Tobirama's back is to them. She looks thrilled.

Tobirama leads his students away and Madara is left staring at a station full of Uchiha, most of whom are also are withholding their amusement. He raises a challenging eyebrow and sweeps out of the room as well. It is much too late to return to the archives, so he makes his way to the Tower to begin the day's work.

* * *

It isn't until the night before Izuna's wedding that Madara finds the name of a forbidden technique in an unlikely text that gives him a lead. It is a foolish thought, really; it shouldn't be possible. But if anyone could mimic the effects of a intrinsically Uchiha technique by _accident_ , it would be Tobirama.

Madara sets the scroll aside and gets to his feet. The Naka Shrine will be covered in wedding-themed debris, but it isn't too late to pay a visit to the Stone Tablet.


End file.
